


Everything is alright

by Dorkilicious



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Is it gay? You decide, Mental Health Issues, Mental Institutions, Psychological, Sennen Items | Millennium Items
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-05
Updated: 2017-01-20
Packaged: 2018-09-06 15:18:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8758129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dorkilicious/pseuds/Dorkilicious
Summary: When things go haywire, Marik and Ishizu are sent to a mental institute in Domino City. Here he meets Ryou Bakura, his roommate, it seems that he has the same 'issues' as Marik does, but perhaps there's a little more going on than everyone believes. What if Ryou's claims of his alter ego being an ancient spirit trapped within the millennium ring are true? Marik might just be the worse person to rely on when it comes to the truth, but he's going to find it whether or not he's believed.





	1. The Child Inside

**Author's Note:**

> Mental institutes, laws, and mental illnesses mentioned within this story are purely fictional and are not accurately represented.

Demons possess the Ishtar family, reaching out with sharp, spindly, fingers to dig into those brave enough to venture near. Despite, Odion’s efforts to protect his brother and sister from the darkness within them it still overwhelms them. Leaving Egypt behind, Japan becomes their new home, particularly for Ishizu and Marik, the well-renowned Mental Institute of Domino City.

On the day they arrive, the siblings make it in time for ‘The circle of Feelings’ or better named ‘Torture’. A female Doctor welcomes them with a smile that Marik imagines challenges the pain of pouring bleach in his eyes and a voice less pleasant than the spiders that once lived in his ears. Marik wants to barf, but Ishizu seems to like the miserable wretch of a woman. The staff sit the two down together and Ishizu grabs Marik’s hand in her lap. “Please don’t make that face, Marik.” She whispers caressing his hand; he sighs in content and leans his head against her shoulder.

“I’d like to welcome the two new members of our family.” The Doctor proclaims making an uncomfortable amount of eye-contact. Beyond the false smile he plasters on his face, Marik cringes, this isn’t family. “On the right we have Marik Ishtar and on the left we have his sister Ishizu Ishtar. Please give them a warm welcome.” 

When the clapping begins the white haired boy on the side of him takes first place for the loudest. He wears a sunlit smile that engraves itself into a unfamiliar portion of Marik’s mind. The short kid with gravity defying hair seems as excited, but with more reservation and without any withstanding impressions. The brunet claps sarcastically, rolling his eyes back emphasizing the snarl on his face. There is someone with blue hair, but that’s all that Marik notices about him. 

“Okay, let’s all introduce ourselves now. I’m Dr. Gardner and I’m in charge of  these group meetings. Dr. Wheeler, who you will meet later this week, will oversee your personal meetings. Who would like to go next?” 

The boy with white hair raises his hand first to stop anyone else who wants to go; no one else does. “I’m Ryou Bakura! I’m your roommate so let’s become friends!” Ryou squeals, outstretching his hand in a friendly gesture, Marik grabs it with a fluttering sense of relief. 

Yugi Muto introduces himself next; Marik is convinced the boy is asking to be bullied. The others also introduce themselves: Mako Tsunami, who would be better off drowning in the pacific, Seto Kaiba who really doesn’t prove himself anything but arrogant, and the other members Marik doesn’t care about. There is  Ishizu’s roommate, Mai Valentine, but her only redeeming quality are her breasts.

Dr.Gardner turns her attention back to the newcomers. “Would either of you like to begin the discussion? Perhaps, explain how you both feel about your first day here?” Her smile continue, any normal person’s jaw would be hanging by its hinges. It makes Marik uneasy, but he follows his sister’s example and smiles back.

Ishizu nudges Marik who is still leaning on her shoulder, the head shake he gives her in response has her nudging him again. When he makes a quiet mewing whine, Ishizu massages the back of his head with her free hand. “Take a deep breath.” She tells him in a quiet voice, nuzzling her face in his hair; following her request, he takes in a gulp of air and releases it with his frustration.  “Not cooperating will only make your stay here longer and harder.” She explains, sitting back up.

Marik slips his hand away from his sister’s and crosses his arms, averting his gaze from the rest of the group. Nothing will be different; he cooperates and does his time, the treatment works, he goes home, then what? Nothing matters anymore, till the bitter end he is going to milk everyone’s misery out. But he resigns himself to his fate for the moment; “My roommate seems nice.” 

“Is that right?” Dr. Gardner smiles impossibly broader, Marik is seriously considering the idea that she has no lips. “I can already see a friendship growing into a blossoming flower.”

Blood squeezes out of Marik’s bottom lip from the piercing clamp of his teeth against it.  Ryou’s  sparkling gaze bores into Marik and it makes him shift in his seat. He grabs Ishizu’s hand, feeling an overwhelming violent urge towards the Doctor. Amazing, she can in a second, cause white hot rage to bubble up inside him.

Ishizu continues the discussion, mentioning Marik’s name a few times; her voice carries a soothing melody that always comforts him, but it makes him too drowsy to pay attention to what she is saying. Other group members are persuaded (forced) into talking about something or other; Marik’s too busy remembering the kids who he used to watch play outside his window. He had a aching desire to join them and every time they called out to him in invitation he was so tempted to disobey his father and go out. He had managed to sneak out once, it had been one of the greatest moments of his life and he had wondered why his father was so against it. The next day all of the kids mysteriously ended up in the hospital. Their parents, the doctors, the police, had all questioned them about what happened, but they were observably terrified and none of their stories matched up. Marik’s father had told him:

“It’s the will of the Gods, Marik. I had told you to stay away from them, they’re hurt because of you.”

Young and impressionable, Marik kept his loneliness deep at the pit of his stomach. Not that he could've made friends, not anymore. His whole neighborhood thought he was cursed. In a way he still was.

Dr. Gardner dismisses the group and Marik heads to his room. His belongings are strewn all over his bed having been thoroughly searched. Politely enough his photos are still in their frames and neat on the bedside table. He catches a glint of his antique mirror among his clothes and picks it up.

“That's beautiful.” Ryou pipes up from the doorway. Marik turns to him and is immediately bathed in the warmth of his smile.

Marik turns back to his belongings, too overwhelmed by the pleasantness. “They let me keep this, but not my beauty products?” 

Ryou shrugs his shoulders and plops onto his own bed that creaks under his movement. “They’re not clear about how they decide what stays or goes. I’m sure you can earn it back.”

“Earn it back?”

“Yeah, we get rewards for good behavior.”

“Like dogs?”

Ryou lets out a bubbling laughter, it reverberates in Marik’s ears and fills his stomach with an unknown gentleness. “I’d say more like children; either way, quite the insult, huh?” He beams, catching his breath.

After tossing the mirror back on the bed, Marik lies down, staring up at the white ceiling. “What kinda things are there to do here?”

The other boy brings his finger to his lips in thought. “There’s tons of activities in the room we were in. Nothing incredibly enjoyable, but it passes the time and well, you get used to it. An hour before dinner they take us outside. There’s basketball, but.” Marik watches Ryou gesture to his slender body. “I’m not exactly the active type.”

“What type are you then? You seem like you’d enjoy knitting and watching chick flicks.”

Ryou cocks his head and scrunches his face. “Really? I can’t imagine what you think of me...do I look that girly?”

“Yes.”

“Says the one who cakes make-up on his face. I bet you wake up earlier than everyone else to do your hair.” He teases, a playful smile lighting his face up.

Marik quirks an eyebrow. “Touché. What do you like then?”

“Games, mostly. Tabletop RPGs, cards, consoles, and PCs, whatever.” He admits before biting his bottom lip and averting his gaze. 

“Wow, that’s...that’s.”

“Geeky, I know.”

“No, cool. I’m not too much into everything else, but card games have always been there for me.”

“Duel Monsters?” Ryou grins wide as if there is a secret only he knows.

“Yeah.”

“You’ll definitely fit in well here. Everyone loves Duel Monsters ….Some more than others.” He says, before slipping to the floor and crawling over to whisper in his ear. “Y’know Seto’s here because he has an obsession with the Blue Eyes White Dragon, he has all the existing cards.”

“That’s understandable, they’re rare.”

Ryou shakes his head. “No, I mean he thinks he’s in love with it.”

Marik jolts up into a sitting position. “Don’t lie to me.” He squeales in exacerbation. Ryou looks to the side and shrugs his shoulders. “You’re being serious.”

“Hey!” Ryou calls out. “I know that look.” He stares, with wide eyes, at Marik’s mischievous smirk. “Don’t be mean about it to him, please. We all have something a little queer about us, he doesn’t deserve to have it used against him.”

Marik throws his hands in the air. “Oh, and why do you think I would do something like that.” Ryou puckers his lips and squints his eyes. The egyptian tosses his head to the side and  laughs long and slow. “Fair enough. Trading cards, though; there’s something not right there.”

“Considering the circumstances of where we’re at,” Ryou says sitting on  his bottom and leaning back against Marik’s bed. “It's not surprising, we're all here from one reason or the other.”

“It's a card, Ryou. How does that even work… It’s…” He barks putting up his hands in the shape of a card. “Small, flat, and fragile. Has he ever done anything with it?”

Disgust travels up Ryou’s face, a peculiar expression on a boy like him. “I wouldn't know and I certainly wouldn't want to. His younger brother keeps his cards locked up at their home. That is something, I assume, they wouldn't let him keep here.”

“If I ever start effing cards I think I'd kill myself.” 

Ryou jumps to his feet at that. “You shouldn't say things like that here.”

“Ever tried to do it?”

Cascading white strands of hair bounce about Ryou’s face as he shakes his head, the bottom of his shirt crinkles and bunches under his grip. “Not me, but I'm sure someone here has.” 

The bed moans under the weight of Marik’s body as he leans back on his hands, his eyes flutter shut, a rosy pink softens his features, and his lips form a smile of once childlike innocence. Humming of voices outside flit in and out, the hospital is forgotten within the silence of the room.  “Death is a funny thing.” 

Light dances along the photo of the lone woman on Marik’s bedside table; Ishizu bares a striking resemblance to her, perhaps she’s their mother. She’s smiling, but against the brightness of the room it’s dark and ominous. “They say life is beautiful and fleeting, that it’s something to be treasured, but that suits death more. The fear, the anger, the resignation, the disturbing euphoria from everything finally ending, washes over them so quickly that if you blink you’ll miss it.” Violet and brown collide, weaving together, refusing to release the other from its own depravity. “I don't want to blink; I want to watch as everything ends and feel as guilt and grief imbeds itself within me, over and over again.”

“Have you ever watched someone die, Ryou?”

Ryou doesn’t reply, Marik doesn’t question it. He isn’t looking for words. 

A knock at the door forces them back into the real world. “Time to head outside.” A staff member gowned in unsuitable white, calls to them.

Ryou smiles at her and nods his head. “Come on, Marik.” He bubbles, grabbing and pulling a tanned wrist. 

The woman waits for them to pass her before she follows after them.


	2. Her Smile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marik's list of things he loves grows: That his sister is beginning to smile more and the feeling of Ryou's hand

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to change the tense to present; I find that it provides an interesting tone.  
> Again this is purely fictional, in other words, I have no clue how the real world works.

Against the warmth of the summer sun, Ryou’s hand feels cool. He has held hands countless times before, with his sister and with his brother, but looking down at the hand around his wrist complimenting his chocolate coated skin like vanilla, it's all strange. Ryou’s thumb and index finger are calloused from what Marik assumes hours spent gaming, but the rest of his hand is soft. Odion’s hands are rough and warm, Ishizu’s strong and comforting, and Ryou’s are something Marik can’t quite put words to. 

Marik looks up at Ryou, his pale lips split in a never ending smile. It’s unlike Dr. Gardner’s smile that fits thriller graphic novels and more like the moon on its brightest days when Marik would want to stare up at it for hours. He’s unsure what it is about Ryou’s smile, about his eyes, and about his hand that enamore Marik to a point of being able to forget all of the negative physical contact he had compromised for. Many times he had purposely incited his father’s rage out of desperation for a connection.

Before he realizes it Ryou drags him in front of Yugi - who’s  much shorter than Marik had first assumed, but not any less victimizable. He has a heavy chain around his neck holding a pyramid, which he recognizes as the millennium puzzle (what it’s doing here with this boy, who knows) it looks like it weighs him down and would fracture a few ribs if he fell on top of it. Marik assumes Yugi has ‘earned’  it back since he and Ishizu aren’t allowed to wear their jewelry, which to him feels like missing a part of himself. 

The hand releases his wrist and he almost immediately misses the touch. “Yugi and I have been friends since I came here, we were previously roommates, but because of...certain circumstances it didn’t work out.” Ryou says with a bounce.

There’s a biting curiosity about what these circumstances are, but Marik tries to ignore it, after all, he hasn’t been open about why he’s here. Mostly, because it’s something that will inevitably reveal itself and most likely end up not working out either. Which is why it’s strange the hospital let him keep easily weaponized objects, like his mirror, knowing full well things can quickly get violent, uncontrollable, and deadly for both himself and anyone around him. 

“Where did you come from?” Yugi asks.

“Egypt.”

“Really?” Ryou pulls at Marik’s arm to force him to look over. “Do they not have any hospitals there?” His head cocks, eyebrows raise, and mouth shapes into an o.

“They do, but my brother Odion got us placed here because they wouldn’t accept me.”

“Oh.” Yugi mumbles clearly wanting to ask more on the matter, but not wanting to invade his privacy. 

Before the conversation turns to radio silence Ryou pipes back up. “How was he able to do that? Is he a social worker?”

“No a lawyer.”

Ryou inhales sharply, his face scrunches up and he sucks on his bottom lip. In front of them, Yugi rocks uncomfortably on the balls of his feet. Marik knows what they’re questioning; he knows and they know: it isn't unusual for someone to be sent to an institute instead of prison, due to ‘certain circumstances’. 

Silence does take over this time and curls itself around Marik, clawing at his throat. He doesn’t have any good memories of silence. It made it possible for him hear the choked sound of cries being held back within Ishizu’s room. Fear and pain were always hidden beneath her nurturing soft expressions until she could slip off into her room and shut the door and even then she kept quiet. She carried more responsibility on her shoulders then she should have, wanting to keep a strong façade for her brothers. One time it had become too much for Marik and he made way to her room; the walk was slow and wobbly. When he knocked on the door the crying ceased and was replaced with a “Yes?” in a shaky voice. He’s not exactly sure why, but instead of answering, he ran. 

“Well, Marik.” Yugi finally breaks through, Marik exhales in relief. “There are some basketballs and softballs around would you like to play something?”

Marik looks around searching for his sister. She’s playing hopscotch with Mai, Dr. Gardner, and another girl Marik can’t quite remember the name of.  This hospital is the worst and the best for them: it’s the first time that they can truly smile and relax with others without worrying about their father’s controlling rule. If Ishizu’s happy, if she’s enjoying herself as much as her face expresses, then Marik's number one wish is fulfilled. 

Ryou bends over to look up at Marik from underneath him. “Do you want to play hopscotch instead?” Marik looks down meeting his eyes: his first friend, the first person other than his siblings to stare at him so tenderly.

“No, teach me how to play catch?”

“Sure, though I don’t know if I’ll be a good teacher.”

~

“Marik,” Ishizu calls as they make way for dinner. Marik stops and turns to Ryou.

“You can go on without me.” He tells him. Ryou smiles and nods his head, dragging Yugi along with him. 

Marik looks to his sister and urges her to continue.

“I’m sorry I left you.”

He cocks his head. “What do you mean?”

“I was being selfish, I should've stayed with you. I know you're suffering the most right now, but I’ve never had the company of someone else before.” 

A smile rests itself against the boy’s cheeks. “Don’t worry about me, just focus on taking care of yourself.”

That doesn’t appear to ease her worries, rather they become worse. She takes his hands in hers and squeezes them tight and lets out a sigh. “No, Marik, you always come first. this is only the beginning.”

“What do you mean, sister?”

“I see many paths laid out before me and the futures they will make, they aren’t clear, but soon they shall be. If I continue to separate myself from you, like I have, much worse things shall follow.”

Marik sighs and pulls his hands free, turning away from his sister. “Sister, please.”

“You haven’t doubted it before, what has changed now.”

He shakes his head and turns back around to hold her face in his hands. “Nothing has changed, I just feel that it has done more harm than good. Why worry about my future if you can’t enjoy your present? You leave no room for me to doubt your commitment to me, I know if I need you, you’ll be there.”

“I’ll trust you then, Marik. Let’s head to dinner now.” Ishizu smiles, removes his hands from her face, and places one in her own hand. The air is heavy as she leads them towards the dining area, following a few other stragglers. The other patients are chatting merrily, but the two of them don’t say a word. They used to talk so much about so little and now that they have plenty to chat about they say nothing at all. Marik assumes it was because they had to keep their mind off something else, something they had never wanted to acknowledge. To be honest, the lack of words and pointless chatter is welcome, after all, their circumstances have actually become more positive.

“So, what is it your sister needed to talk about with you?” Ryou asks upon Marik’s arrival to his and Yugi’s table. 

Marik stays quiet, turning his head to look at his sister, she’s smiling again. This time he notices that she’s struggling. It’s hard for her to let go and be free. Even before she had only ever talked to Marik and Odion and had purposely kept her distance from the servants only associating with them when she needed to. He turns to his food on the table, it’s nothing compared to the high-grade food he had used to eat, but food is food. He hums in response to Ryou’s question.

Ryou wrinkles his eyebrows and swishes his spoon absently in his soup. “I see, I guess I haven’t leveled up my friendship skill with you yet.”

Marik switches his attention from his food to Ryou’s glistening eyes. “Sorry?” Realizing what Ryou’s words mean, he quickly shakes his head. “No, that’s not it. It was family business.” He thinks for a moment before finishing with: “She was just worried about me.” 

“Having a loving sister that worries about you, that must be nice.”

“I wish she loved herself more.”

Yugi pipes up, unwantingly. “Siblings are like that, huh?” His voice is squeaky and Marik has to control his urges to hit him. Why Marik dislikes Yugi to this point, he isn’t quite sure, but he knows it’s for a good reason. Some how. Ryou smiles though, it’s warm as always and makes everything better. 

They finish their meals and the staff usher them to their rooms. Ryou grabs Marik’s hand upon standing up and this time intertwines their fingers. He looks up at his friend with a playful smile. “This is alright, right? You seem to enjoy holding hands with your sister, so I figured you wouldn’t mind.”

His hand feels like it belongs in his, leaving Marik in no place to complain. Holding hands with Ryou is starting to be one of his favorite things, not that he has many. “Yeah, it’s nice.” He tells him, giddy.

They make it back to their room and their door locks behind them; Marik tenses and squeezes Ryou’s hand, which he squeezes back, reassuringly. “Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it.” 

Marik nods and instead focuses on the mess on his bed and moves to clean it up. He stands up proudly with his hands on his hips, having, for the first time cleaned up for himself, he even managed to hang up his mirror. Then, realization hits him. “My soap! They took that too?”

“Oh, you won’t be getting that back.” Hums Ryou, bouncing on his bed. “Some scents bother other patients, so we all have to use the same one.”

Marik grumbles at that, whoever was in charge of deciding that, makes it at the top of Marik’s hate list, even above Dr.Demon Smile. He has never used any other brand of body wash before, he worries about the effect it will have on his sensitive skin. He shrugs however, he is in this till the end, therefore, he’ll need to take it as positively as possible. He makes his way to their room's bathroom for a shower.

“You’re taking a shower?”

“Yeah.”

“You like taking showers at night?”

“It feels best right before bed.”

“I see.” Ryou mumbles in thought. “That’s good, I thought we’d get in each other’s way. I take showers in the morning and you at night. It’s a perfect arrangement.” He laughs. It’s heartfull and bouncy and creates a bubbly feeling in the pit of Marik’s stomach and he forgets his frustration over the soap.

He removes his clothes in the bathroom, his tan skin glistens from the light overhead. Muscles tighten and relax under the heavy pressure of the streaming water. It’s peaceful and lonesome -a beautiful mixture. He drags a hand through his hair, continuing its path onto his back. A laugh gurgles its way up his throat; there, where he lets his hand rest, is the start of his breathtaking scars. 

~

 

Darkness envelopes two sleeping boys with its strong hold; one wakes up, his eyes fiery with irritation. He shoots up into a sitting position, sheets falling to his hips. He looks to his right setting his gaze on the restful boy. Letting his body twist, his feet hit the cold empty floor. He makes way to the other bed, uncaring of its creaking under his weight, and leans over the still body. 

The other’s skin stands out - light from the moon -within the darkness of the room. His neck, pale and open, for the boy to reach out with his long fingers. Smooth, soft, and plush, under his tightening hand. Another hand darts and painfully grips his wrist before his hand gets the chance to tighten enough. His wrist pops.

“What do you think you’re doing?” The boy under him, now fully awake, glares, digging his sharp nails into the soft skin of the wrist in his grasp. Marik grins in response. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Considering I had four weeks off for vacation I wished I had done more - but I didn't - Now I go back to school Monday and I'm hoping to get a job soon (Because college doesn't pay for itself and neither do nice things) so any hope that I'll post another chapter soon is slim. Anyways, hope everyone had a wonderful New Year and to people who watch Voltron a big squee of excitement for the second season!

**Author's Note:**

> I worked my butt off writing this and I loved every minute of it even the long laborious duties of editing, so I'd be very thankful for any negative or positive feedback. I'm also thankful that you took the time to choose this little 'ol fanfic of mine to read.


End file.
